Back In The Saddle
by jadesunset
Summary: A short story set during RTTE (after S4): Everyone notices that Astrid has been repeatedly falling off of Stormfly in battle. Unfortunately, someone has to be the one to talk to the proud Viking about it. And that unfortunate someone is Hiccup. HICCSTRID


**_AN: Since it's finals week and I won't have any time to update my other stories, I thought I'd at least post a short piece I wrote a few months ago and put on Tumblr._**

 **Like some others in the fandom have mentioned, I've been a bit perplexed why in RTTE Astrid has repeatedly fallen off of Stormfly in battle. How is it that the same woman could ride so expertly in HTTYD 2 while doing some pretty intense maneuvers without any trouble?**

 **Then I looked at her saddle in RTTE vs HTTYD 2. Notice a difference?**

 **Take a look and you'll see major design improvements: different shape, side grips, and a handlebar.**

 **This got me thinking… what prompted the additions to her saddle? This is my take**.

 ** _Note: Takes place during RTTE, sometime after the end of S4._**

* * *

Hiccup stood outside the stable, fingers flexing at his sides anxiously as he stared at the open door. Chewing slightly at his lip, deep in thought, he didn't notice the curious look he received from the Night Fury beside him. Toothless' emerald eyes flicked between his rider and the stable, wondering why they didn't just walk in. It was a beautiful day – perfect weather for flying – and standing there doing nothing was wasting such precious time.

Growing inpatient, Toothless warbled, nudging his snout against Hiccup's hip.

"Oh, heh, sorry, bud", he apologized sheepishly, placing his hand on the dragon's temple. "Just, eh…preparing."

Lifting one ear in confusion, Toothless chuffed as he blinked owlishly.

Hiccup puffed his cheeks, blowing out a breath in anticipation. "Wish me luck."

Entering the stable, the pair saw Stormfly resting on her haunches, crooning happily as Astrid slid a soapy brush against her shoulders. The young woman's back was facing them, her arm stretching to reach further up the dragon's back.

"Hey, Hiccup!" she called brightly, not needing to turn her head to recognize the scrape of her boyfriend's prosthetic against the wooden floor.

Hiccup smiled, trying to appear more at ease as he approached. "Hey yourself", he greeted casually.

As Toothless bounded towards Stormfly, shaking his head side-to-side with excitement, Hiccup stepped briefly to Astrid's side and leaned towards her.

She shifted her face towards him slightly while keeping her gaze on her work, offering her cheek as he planted a quick kiss.

He then took a small step back, watching as Stormfly bobbed her head at the Night Fury that leapt around her in an attempt to initiate play.

Astrid chuckled, reminding her dragon to _try_ to stay still so that she could finish.

Settling into what he hoped appeared to be a natural pose, Hiccup scratched at the bottom of his jaw as he looked back at Astrid.

"So. How's, uh – how's it going?"

"Pretty good", she reported with a quick nod of her head. "Just giving Stormfly a quick wash before we try out a few inversion maneuvers I've been wanting to practice."

The Nadder gave an excited squawk, turning her head to receive an affectionate scratch from Astrid.

Hiccup's mouth reflexively tugged back, though he made a point to relax his features.

"Oh, yeah…that's, _great_ ", he replied cheerfully – perhaps a little too much. "You, uh, two sure are getting to be quite the daredevils, huh?"

His tone prompted Astrid to turn her head enough to peer over her shoulder at him; her brow raised in amusement.

"You're one to talk", she teased, smiling as she resumed running the brush over Stormfly's scales. " _I'm_ not quite jumping off my dragon yet, thank you very much."

Hiccup huffed a muted laugh, running his hand through his hair.

"Yeah, you, uh, you got me there", he admitted, his voice strained with forced levity.

Unbeknownst to him, Astrid pursed her lips in thought, acutely aware of his discomfort.

She then smiled to herself. This could be fun.

"So…" she breathed with a content sigh, pretending to focus entirely on Stormfly's bath. "You gonna tell me what's up?"

Blinking in surprise, thrown by the lilting tone that contrasted her knowing words, Hiccup pulled his mouth into a nervous grin.

"W-what? Up?" he repeated with false confusion, his voice rising unnaturally high.

Seeing Astrid look at him out of the corner of her eye, smirking, he cleared his throat.

"Nothing's "up"", he claimed, though his fingers fidgeted at his sides with nervous energy. "Just, standing here. Talking to you."

Astrid rolled her eyes good-naturedly, turning to fully face Hiccup as she lightly gripped the brush and settled the back of her hand on her hip.

"Out with it, Haddock", she prompted.

He stared at her blankly, eyes wide with the realization that he'd been caught.

Coughing, if for no other reason than to give him something to do as he looked off to the side, Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest.

"Right, okay…" he sighed in resignation. "I guess I **did** want to talk to you...about something."

"Hmm, _really_?" Astrid asked with feigned surprise, struggling to hold back a smile as she watched him fumble awkwardly under her calculating stare.

Hiccup swayed slightly as he spoke, smiling weakly as he finally returned Astrid's gaze.

"It's nothing, really", he insisted, "it's just, about you…"

The woman's lips tugged upward. "Uh huh…"

His smile faltered a bit as he absently scuffed the tip of his prosthetic against the ground. "And Stormfly…"

A bit thrown, Astrid's brow angled in surprise. "Okay…"

Hiccup noticeably flinched. "And, y'know, just an observation that you've been having….uh, trouble, lately."

Her own smile quickly fading, Astrid tilted her head.

" _Trouble_?" she echoed, slowly forming each syllable.

"Y-yeah", Hiccup laughed uncomfortably, his hand traveling to rest on the back of his neck.

Cinching her brow, Astrid's form began to tense, her hip jutting out.

"Define " _trouble_ "", she prompted, a hint of offense in her voice.

Hiccup's false front quickly crumbled. "Well, y'know, you, uh…"

Then, with a long, drawn out sigh, his shoulders fell in defeat. "You're falling off Stormfly, Astrid. A-a lot."

Rearing her head back, Astrid's lips parted as her stare grew heated.

"I am not!" she shot back, scandalized.

In an instant Hiccup hands were up and splayed in a placating manner; the same form she saw him use on feral dragons.

"Not criticizing!" he assured. "You are an excellent rider; one of Berk's best. Nothing to do with your skill or anything like that."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're damn right it's not", she muttered.

Flashing him a disappointed look, Astrid shook her head as she turned back to Stormfly. "And there's nothing _to_ criticize because _nothing_ is wrong", she muttered.

Tilting his head back to look at the ceiling, groaning under his breath, Hiccup shook his head slightly before trying a different approach.

"Hey", he breathed soothingly, slowly approaching Astrid and reaching for her hand.

The action prompted his girlfriend to cast an indignant stare and her muscles tensed as if ready to yank her hand back.

Interlacing his fingers with hers, gently keeping her hand in place so that he could guide her to face him again, he met her gaze with an earnest expression. "You know I care about you, right?"

Pushing her lips together into a tight pout, Astrid continued to stare him down.

" _Yes_ ", she admitted, a bit tersely. "Though you have a funny way of showing it."

Hiccup huffed, his mouth quirking into a smile. "Trust me, I have not been wanting to have this…talk. I don't want to offend; I'm only doing it because I'm genuinely worried."

Though her own expression remained unchanged, Astrid's eyes softened.

"You don't need to be worried", she mumbled gruffly. Her cheeks reddened. "So I've lost my grip a few times, it's not a big deal."

She then squeezed his hand affectionately before pulling away and shrugging dismissively. "That's why we train; it's nothing we can't handle."

The smile on Hiccup's face took on a sad quality. "I know you can handle it. You can handle anything…"

Leaning back against Stormfly's flank, Astrid crossed her arms defensively. " **But** …."

Hiccup sighed. " _But_ I think you might need some help to do it."

An unexpected laugh erupted from her throat. "What kind of "help" could I possibly need?" she snorted, genuine confusion intermingling with the sting of her wounded ego.

Hiccup shrugged one shoulder, though she knew he would never approach her without some ideas in mind.

"I don't know, but I've just been watching you two for a while now. I-I'm thinking a few small changes could make it easier to stay on." He lifted his gaze to Stormfly. "The way you crouch, you know, that _could_ be a problem…less stable than straddling."

"Not happening", Astrid returned dryly. "Would kill my reaction time. Besides, Stormfly rarely flies with her back completely straight."

Hiccup hummed in thought. "Yeah, that's the other thing. Deadly Nadders are…well…"

A flash of anger caused Astrid's eyes to widen before they narrowed.

"Nadders are _what_?" she challenged.

Rounding his shoulders, ready for a confrontation, Hiccup scrunched his nose as he held her stare.

"I mean, you have to admit, they can be a little…" His hand rotated in the air, searching for the word. "…jumpy. A lot of jerking, sudden movements – especially when she's startled."

The dragon in question cocked her head aggressively, releasing a defiant squawk as she directed an intense glare at the one-legged Viking.

Her rider reached over to pat Stormfly's face in support.

"You're _just fine_ , girl", Astrid cooed, making a point to send Hiccup a loaded glance in offense.

Holding back an exasperated sigh, forgetting he would have **two** headstrong warriors to persuade, Hiccup instead frowned.

"It's not a judgement, I'm _just_ trying to figure out what it is that makes flying Nadders more difficult." He tapped his finger to his chin, brow furrowed. "Maybe a few tweaks to your saddle would help…"

Casting a skeptical look to Stormfly, who swayed her head as she grumbled lowly, Astrid looked back at Hiccup.

"We're fine, Hiccup", she assured coolly. "Thank you for the concern, but we have it under control."

Before Hiccup could argue, Astrid tugged firmly at Stormfly's harness, prompting the dragon to follow her as they left the stable in a huff.

Finally releasing a long-repressed sigh, Hiccup shook his head as he watched them leave.

"Well, that went about as well as I expected", he muttered to Toothless.

* * *

"Stormfly, twirl! Dive! Double loop!"

After leaving the stable, Stormfly and Astrid took to the sky, flying as quickly as the Nadder's wings allowed. Both tense and feeling the pangs of damaged pride, they furiously ran through a circuit of non-stop drills, pushing the dragon to her physical limits.

Astrid ran them through every exercise they knew, experimenting with balance and positioning as she maintained a sharp focus on every move she made. To her satisfaction, other than a few slight shifts in her saddle that _could_ have thrown her, the pair were in perfect sync.

As they cut through a wisp of clouds and started to descend as they flew back towards land, they soared over the Edge's forest, just above the tops of the tallest trees.

The intensity of their flight did wonders for Astrid's mood and confidence, and she grinned wildly at the addictive feeling of adrenaline coursing through her body. What was the harm of one more trick?

"Roll, girl!" she cried, bracing for the impending inversion.

One minute Astrid could feel the hide of the saddle beneath her; the next she felt nothing but air whipping all around.

She barely had time to register she was falling, crashing into tree branches as Stormfly shrieked above her.

After striking several limbs on her way down, Astrid managed to catch one of the last layers separating her from the ground. Her body wrapped around the branch, sputtering as a firm hit to her gut expelled all air in her lungs.

Groaning in pain and humiliation, Astrid loosened her grip enough to swing down so that only her arms held her up, checking the distance below her as she released her hold all together.

She landed roughly on her feet, her arm grasping at her belly as she gasped for air through grit teeth.

Stormfly landed beside her, squawking in fright as she hurried towards the young woman. She tenderly prodded Astrid with her beak, but the rider was too enraged to even notice.

Making a tight fist, Astrid snarled as she stomped her foot into the dirt, then used her other to kick a nearby stone through the grass.

"What is _wrong_ with me?!"

* * *

Hiccup sat at his worktable, tongue poking out of his mouth as he carefully adjusted part of the Dragon Blade's internal mechanism.

Toothless lounged on the floor at his feet, having fallen asleep after waiting for the Viking to complete his tinkering. To the dragon's great disappointment, after the heated exchange between the riders, Hiccup was suddenly hesitant to fly around the island as planned.

So Hiccup kept his anxious mind busy; making adjustments that weren't necessary and inspecting components that he knew were fine.

Falling into a hyper-focused state as he went about his work, Hiccup didn't even notice someone trudging up behind him until a saddle fell roughly on the table top before him.

Startled, Hiccup looked up, eyes wide as he met Astrid's perturbed glare. Hair disheveled and fresh scratches to her face and arms, she looked worn out and disgusted.

"Do what you want", she grumbled.

Without another word she marched out of his hut, face flushed in embarrassment.

Hiccup turned his chair to watch her as she left, bewildered.

Having woken from the commotion, Toothless warbled, head cocked in interest.

Hiccup frowned. "I…I couldn't say, bud."

Looking back over at the discarded saddle, he ran a hand over the stitched hide.

It was one of the first he made, not long after awakening from his battle with the Red Death. Still struggling to get around, Hiccup had spent a lot of his idle time sketching - drawing whatever random thought or creation came to mind.

Whenever Toothless would pad about restlessly, desperate to fly but unable or willing to leave without the young boy, Hiccup would glance wistfully at the saddle he hastily built when Gobber was away from the forge.

Thinking of his newfound friends, watching them as they spent each day getting to know their dragons and mastering the art of riding, he realized that they too would need something more secure than a simple roped harness.

Inspired, he sketched some simple designs, each with some consideration for the dragon that would be wearing it. He then made his way to his workshop in the forge, getting to work on making sure each rider had something suitable for their type of dragon and style of riding.

Astrid's had been the first that he made – second ever – shaped to accommodate her preference for balancing on the balls of her feet, ready to jump at a second's notice. While his legs ached just thinking about holding that position for hours at a time, he had to admit that the warrior's priority of utility over comfort was, well, fitting.

Over the years he had made many adjustments to the other saddles - including his own. Some upgrades were motivated by simple things like growth spurts while others were developed to aid them as they took on more challenging missions. And a few were the just result of constant whining from _certain_ teammates who felt they were entitled the latest and greatest of everything. Specifically, those who rode Monstrous Nightmares.

But Astrid had never asked for any changes to be made to hers, and was the only one still using the original piece he made so long ago.

As Hiccup held the worn saddle in his hands, examining his earliest work, he immediately saw opportunity to improve the design. He knew more than he used to; not just in terms of craftsmanship but of the rider herself and the dragon she flew.

She valued quick movements, and despite her issues maintaining her balance on Stormfly, was astoundingly graceful. Many of her actions were improvised; an organic response to whatever obstacles she faced.

Stormfly also had rapid-fire reaction times – almost excessively so. Her motions were often rigid and unpredictable, and Astrid would need to be able to accommodate those shifts no matter how rough the ride became.

Pulling out a sheet of parchment, grasping at a charcoal pen, Hiccup began to sketch.

* * *

Arms crossed tightly over her chest, Astrid's mouth pulled to one side of her face.

"Hmm, a handle", she muttered in a failed effort to hide her disdain.

Undeterred, Hiccup smiled proudly as he tightened the updated saddle's straps against Stormfly's flank.

"Yep. If you're going to be flying as erratically as you two seem to enjoy now, I think having something solid to grip is going to make all the difference."

Astrid hummed, acknowledging that she heard him but clearly not fully on-board.

After pushing against the saddle to ensure a snug fit, Hiccup pointed out the other new features.

"Back of the seat curves up a bit", he noted, "for when a rough maneuver sends you backwards. And _these_ ", he drawled, motioning to two curved bars on each side of the saddle, "are back-up grips."

His enthusiastic smile waned momentarily as he turned to see his girlfriend's apprehensive, almost mournful, expression.

"You'd think I just broke your axe in front of you", he teased lightly.

Astrid's eyes flicked to meet his gaze, her features relaxing into a void neutral.

"No", she insisted quietly, "it's…nice."

Hiccup's shoulders bounced, scoffing at her poor attempt to conceal her disappointment.

"Try it", he urged with a smile. "If you don't like it, I'll just take it all off. No harm done."

Pressing her lips together into a thin line, Astrid eyed the saddle warily as she absently nodded.

Sensing that she wasn't going to move on her own, Hiccup reached up to firmly pat the seat with his hand, looking at her expectantly.

Astrid's chest expanded with a slow inhale, quickly blowing upward at an errant bang hanging over her eyes.

Hiccup chuckled at her dramatics, shaking his head.

Stormfly craned her neck in interest at the new addition on her back, tilting her head in various angles to see as much as she could.

Her rider, meanwhile, appeared less enthusiastic, gripping the edge of the saddle as she hoisted herself up. Settling onto her knees, having to consciously lift her thighs over the new side grips, Astrid found her balance as she wrapped her fingers around the edge of the saddle's lip.

Hands at his hips, Hiccup canted his brow. "It's not going to do anything if you don't use it", he jokingly chastised.

Groaning under her breath, Astrid scrunched her nose as she tentatively placed a hand on each side of the handlebar.

Hiccup snorted as he watched her, holding back a laugh as he side-stepped towards Toothless. "You're acting like this physically hurts."

"It does", Astrid muttered, though the ends of her lips turned up as she glanced his way.

Hiccup smiled as he gave Toothless a firm scratch under his jaw. "C'mon, let's go test it out."

Noting his choice of words, Astrid hummed quietly as she flexed her fingers around the foreign handle. "You're only going with me so that you can catch me when I fall. _Again_."

Her dejected tone drew Hiccup's gaze, and he signed with concern. Still he offered an affectionate smile.

"No, milady", he corrected gently, giving Toothless' face a final pat, "I'm going because it's been forever since we flew for fun. Just us."

Astrid's tight features released as she looked over at Hiccup, his sincerity cracking through her foul mood. She looked down, cheeks blushing as she tucked her bangs behind her ear, revealing a soft smile.

Satisfied, Hiccup swept his arm forward as he climbed onto Toothless' saddle. "Lead the way."

Finally returning a faint but genuine smile, Astrid patted Stormfly's neck.

"You heard him, girl", she prompted.

With that the Nadder pushed off from the ground, wings flapping as she veered towards the southern sea.

Toothless quickly followed, slowing his pace to travel just to their left.

The team flew in comfortable silence for a time, just enjoying the novelty of being in the air again without any particular goal in mind. No missions to complete; no Hunters to find. Just freedom.

Astrid's sour disposition began to ease, comforted by the feeling of the sun's warming rays on her face, even as the crisp air chilled her skin. With a content sigh, she looked ahead, seeing a cluster of sea stacks surrounding a small isle with a rocky terrain.

"Good a spot as any", she called over to Hiccup, who nodded in agreement.

Toothless hung back slightly as Stormfly tilted at a sharp angle to follow the island's coastline.

Astrid dug her knees in as she always did, knuckles turning white as she clutched the saddle's edge.

"Astriiiiid…"

The blonde whipped her head to the side to see Toothless and Hiccup a mere wing behind, and the rider giving her a playful look in warning.

"Huh?" She followed his line of sight to her grip on the saddle.

"Oh. Right", she muttered, moving her hands to the bar. "Sorry."

As the dragons glided closer to the island's cragged peaks, they followed the landscape down into a small valley before quickly turning upward. From there they coasted easily, tracing a stream leading back to the open sea.

Hiccup glanced over at Astrid, groaning in mild frustration as he noted that her hands had dropped back to their usual position. It couldn't be said that she wasn't as stubborn as any Viking who'd ever lived.

Feeling his gaze upon her, Astrid glanced at Hiccup. In response to his critical stare she shamelessly shrugged.

"See? I'm fine."

As her boyfriend's expression hardened ever so slightly, she gave an appreciative smile. "It's sweet that you did this; really. But I can manage these conditions just fine."

Holding his stare, looking her over before turning his gaze to the serene scene around them, Hiccup pursed his lips.

"Yeah", he murmured in thought, "you're right…"

His inflection caught Astrid's attention, knowing there was some sort of idea brewing in his head. She watched him, curious, though looked away once it became apparent that he wasn't going to divulge whatever was on his mind.

Just as her own thoughts began to wander, lulled into complacency by their placid surroundings, she was startled by a loud, high-pitched whine.

A small explosion erupted in the air in front of them, leaving a thick puff of dark smoke.

"Whoa!" Astrid shouted in surprise, bracing herself as Stormfly shifted roughly to avoid the plume of smoke.

"Hiccup!" she called in surprise, at first worried for his safety. But her face blanched when she realized that not only was he fine, but that his Night Fury was the cause of the rude disruption.

"What is Toothless doing!?" Astrid demanded, voice raw with shock.

The only response she received was a second shot in the air ahead of them; again startling the Nadder as she quickly dove down to dip underneath.

Nearly thrown from her seat a second time, Astrid turned her head to glare at Hiccup in disbelief. "What the Hel!?"

To this, he smirked.

"What, you wanted a challenge, right?" Hiccup ribbed.

Realization set in, causing Astrid's eyes to narrow.

She knew she was being goaded, using her competitive nature against her. Still, she returned a defiant smirk, shrugging her shoulders dismissively. She could play his games; AND win.

"Do your worst."

Arching an eyebrow, Hiccup smiled as he urged Toothless to speed up.

With Stormfly on their tail, he led them back around the island, making a point to change altitudes without warning.

The Nadder kept her pace, falling behind momentarily but quickly making up ground.

Approaching the sea stacks, Toothless wove through the natural pillars at high-speed, creating a challenging obstacle course requiring instantaneous decision-making.

But Stormfly pressed on, with Astrid keeping a sharp eye on the Night Fury's movements as her dragon navigated every twist and turn.

Hiccup glanced behind and nodded, impressed that they'd managed to keep up.

As Stormfly pulled up alongside them, Astrid tossed Hiccup a bored expression.

"So is there a point to all this or are you just being ornery for no reason?" she taunted, unable to hide her grin.

"Oh no", he assured cheekily, prompting Toothless to turn sharply as they again approached the sea stacks at a different angle. "There's a reason."

Before Astrid would probe for a clear answer, her eyes widened as she saw Toothless suddenly swing upward upwards in one fluid motion, clearing the top of a sea stack that seemed to just appear from the mist.

Stormfly didn't have time to increase her altitude, and was forced to swing rapidly to her left, flying at a tight angle as her rider clung to the handle bar.

Breathing heavily, Astrid's head whipped around as she looked for any other surprises that hid within the vapor.

"Controlled flying is one thing", Hiccup shouted calmly over the wind, "but when you add…"

Another burst shot from Toothless' mouth, just beneath Stormfly's claws, causing her to frantically flap her wings to rise higher.

"…distractions", he continued, "and…."

Tensing as his sentence faded, Astrid looked ahead in time to see that the gap between the next line of sea stacks was too narrow for them to slip through.

She growled in frustration as a panicked Stormfly was forced to brake suddenly, turning so sharply that Astrid had to release one hand from the handle bar to grasp one of the side grips to avoid flying off.

"….multiple threats…"

Planting the soles of her boots firmly against Stormfly's side, Astrid redistributed her weight to primarily hold herself from the side rail.

As Stormfly worked to right herself, rising higher into the air, Astrid couldn't help but notice how oddly secure she felt hanging off the Nadder's side. Able to adjust her own balance to be in sync with the dragon's movement, she felt sure-footed and stable.

Releasing a breath as her heart rate finally slowed, Hiccup and Toothless were once again at their side.

The young man grinned widely. "…then even little advantages can help."

Swallowing heavily, Astrid laughed breathlessly as she pulled herself back into the saddle. She was quickly beginning to appreciate the benefits of these new features, and thanked every god that she had thus far avoided another humiliating plunge.

"I want to try something else", she announced to Hiccup, looking down at the waves far below. Her eyes then darted to him, holding him in a serious stare. "And _don't_ trail me."

Hiccup didn't conceal the nervous twitch of his lips, but held up his hands in concession.

Smiling, Astrid craned her neck to look into the Nadder's golden eyes.

"Stormfly", she prompted, using her index finger to point downwards, "dive!"

The dragon obliged, curving her back to fall into a steep drop.

Hiccup peered down around Toothless' wing, biting at his lip as he watched them plummet but stayed in place as promised.

As the water's surface rushed towards them, Astrid could feel Stormfly shudder, glancing worriedly at the Viking on her back.

"I've got it, girl!" Astrid promised, shouting over the deafening rush of air. "Go!"

The Nadder returned her gaze to the water, increasing her speed then quickly jerking upward just above the cresting waves.

Astrid felt herself slide way back, but this time gripped the handle with both hands as she braced her arms, feeling some resistance at her tailbone from the curve of the seat.

Her stomach wavered, and her cheeks pulled back against the sudden force. She allowed her lips to slide up, revealing her teeth as she threw her head back with a boisterous laugh and a loud whoop.

Flapping her wings heavily as she readjusted to climb at a sharp incline, Stormfly pushed onward, soon leveling off as Toothless swooped down towards them.

"You did it!" Hiccup cheered, relieved and reveling in Astrid's elation.

" _We_ did it!" Astrid corrected, throwing her arms around Stormfly's neck. "Oh, you did great, girl!"

The Nadder crooned happily, relishing the praise.

Pushing back wind-swept locks of hair from her face, Astrid looked over at Hiccup to see him staring at her with such reverence that it made her heart skip a beat. It was the same loving gaze she had occasionally caught him sending over the years, but it warmed her that they were now to a point where there was no need for him to look away awkwardly and mumble excuses.

Astrid smiled back, overcome by a wave of rapturous bliss; a sense of well-being that she hadn't felt since before the Dragon Hunters intruded into their lives.

Turning her head to look at the horizon, estimating they had at least another hour or so before the others would expect them back, she glanced at their dragons, both content and still full of energy, before gazing at Hiccup with an impish grin.

"So?" she beamed excitedly, "what's next?"

* * *

Toothless raced into the stables, looking over his shoulder to be sure that Stormfly was still chasing after him.

Sure enough, she came bounding in behind him, bobbing her head forward to nip playfully at his tail, inciting him to turn the tables and begin pouncing after her.

Their riders strolled in behind them, chattering away happily about the various stunts and tricks they practiced until the sun began to set.

"I cannot wait for the next race!" Astrid gushed with excitement, her grin becoming almost vicious. "Snotlout is going to _wet himself_ when we barrel-roll over him and snag a sheep right from his hands!"

Hiccup laughed at the disturbing but vivid image that came to his mind. "Good to know my hard work will be put to good use."

Smiling as Astrid chuckled in response, he then sucked in his bottom lip, looking at her with cautious optimism. "So….you like it? The saddle?"

Looking at the young man's expression, hopeful but weighed with concern, her face lit up. " _Love_ it."

His face instantly brightened, giving a quick nod as he looked down at the loose reins in his hands.

Hiccup's chest puffed up slightly, swelled with pride. "Well, let me know if the bars are holding up okay over time", he noted, stepping to a row of hooks on the wall and looping the leather band around one of them. "Probably a good idea to check them every now and again unti-"

He stopped in surprise as two arms suddenly wrapped around him, and he smiled at the weight of Astrid's body against his back as she embraced him.

"Thank you", she murmured into his armor. He could feel her forehead resting along his spine. "I know fighting me on anything is a bit of an uphill climb."

Releasing a quiet huff, Hiccup turned slowly to face her, allowing him to place his arms around her shoulders as he pulled her into a proper hug.

"Eh, sometimes", he admitted with a shrug as he pressed a kiss into her hair. "But you're worth every step."


End file.
